The Girl Who Lived
by Stella the Hedgehog
Summary: A silent war is going on, subtle but deadly, and Naruto has fallen right in the middle of it, when he met a girl named Keitorin. GaaraOC FINISHED Finally!
1. How it Started

The Girl Who Lived

By Stella the Hedgehog

A/N: This is the debut of my fan character, Keitorin Hyuga - splee! I also have two more characters appearing in this story, the little sisters of Rock Lee. There names are Rock Kyandii (pronounced "rock candy" ) and Rock Ari (because I like the name Ari. Stop hassling me!) Their sensei is named Chansu Karasu, but he's not so important in the story.

oOo

For as long as I care to remember, my team has been my family, and I'm fine with that. Going back further just brings on a blur of Neji, Ninja Academy, and sand. Lots and lots of sand. But I really feel welcome with my team, like I am a part of them: Chansu, the level-headed but strict jounin, Kyandii, the boy crazy klutz, Ari, the hot-headed leader, and I.

What am I, really? My parents had told me that I am a beauty. It's true, I have looks, just like most of the other people in my family. I'm creative; I have a flair for writing. I'm mysterious and stubborn and a brat most of the time. But really, out of any word that I would use to describe myself, if I could pick only one, is a shadow. I am a shadow, and I live in the shadows. I was overshadowed my my powerful genius of a brother, Neji. Overshadowed by Ari, the most powerful Chunin on my team. Overshadowed even by my cousin Hinata. Though she isn't praised and loved and celebrated like Neji, she is smart and beautiful and obedient, a delicate little flower. Hinata is everything I am not. Except beautiful. I like to think I have plenty of that.

I try, I really do, to make a name for myself, but always there is someone stronger, smarter, faster, prettier, better. So when I met him, and saw how he appreciated me for who I am, and not my heritage, or my astounding beauty (Haha, yes, I'm vain too!) I knew that Naruto Uzumaki was something special. Sure, Ari didn't trust him (that's not saying much, she's very cautious) and Kyandii was just after his ADORABLE sensei (because she's an insane boy-addicted person!). But I knew that Naruto and I had a connection. I knew that he was special.

And he is.

Through Naruto, I made a name for myself. I am the girl who lived through death. (Some people also say the girl who married death, but I don't think that's true. For death, he's really sweet once you get to know him!) This is me. This is my story.

oOo

I don't remember much about my childhood. I remember perfect, perfect Neji, my twin brother. I also remember Hinata, my cousin and dearest friend in the world at the time. My parents didn't play a huge role in my childhood - and they still don't really play a big role in my life - ao I won't bother talking about them.

I do remember running away from home. I was seven years old. I felt that I needed to get my own identity. Neji Hyuga was a great ninja, and little Hinata (she was the same age as me, but dreadfully short) was just so smart and pretty. I wanted to be Keitorin, not just Neji's sister or Hinata's cousin or just a Hyuga.

Anyhow, I ended up in the desert within a few months of my leaving. It's a miracle that I even lasted that long. Lots of people were willing to give food the the dirty homeless girl with hair down past her knees and the huge purple eyes, but there wasn't much civilization out where I was traveling. One of the coolest moments ever took place there, near this weird little village. I met the cutest little boy! (I despised him when me met, but still.) His name was Gaara of the Sand. Little did I know that I would meet him again later!

The rest of my life, up until I became genin, was Ninja Academy. And it sucked. But if you're a munchkin, you're broke, and you're alone, it's a good place to start. Imagine my suprise when I discovered that Neji and Hinata had also enrolled themselves! Despite Neji's former additude toward me, he was glad to see me again and actually greeted me with a kiss on the cheek - which is a big deal, he is Neji, after all. Ninja Academy, too painful to go back to. I can trace every day I've ever spent there using my diary, but it wasn't the best time for me. I was short, I was fat, and I had no friends. Because unfortunately, no one wants to hand out with the telepathic freak in the suspenders. Yes, I am telepathic. I could only communicate one way, until I was almost 13, and someone finally found it in them to communicate back to me.

I met Ari and Kyandii on the day that I became a genin and they became my teammates. And during the Chunin exam, I met Naruto Uzumaki.

And as far as I'm concerned, my life began at this moment. Or at least, a new segment of my life.

I'll be honest right now, write what I have not written nor said: I loved Naruto, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I wanted him more than anything else in the world. But Hinata wanted him more than that, and I could see the gentle love that shone in Haruno Sakura's eyes everytime Naruto's name was mentioned. But strangely enough, I didn't feel the heartbreak, even though I took it head on. I was far too busy convincing myself that I didn't love him. If you're confused, don't worry - girls are complex.

Anything I felt was numbed, anyway, because ever since I met another boy, a certain guy with soft red hair and shining sea green eyes, I was infatuated. And it all started with a simple gesture of friendship, a rice ball.

oOo

A/N: That's just the beginning! This is in Keitorin Hyuga's POV, if y'all didn't catch on when she said she was Neji's sister and all that jazz. And the mysterious red-haired guy she likes? Well, he's quite possibly the only red-haired guy on the anime. Figure it out yourself!


	2. Unexpected Help

A/N: I know I hae been lazy, but that doesn't mean I still dont love you guys! Thanks for all the reviews!

**Sariyu-Chan:** Thank you so much! Here is the update you wanted!

**Matt and T.K.:** The copulings I have decided on SO FAR are GaaraOC, KakashiOC, NarutoHinata, SasukeIno, and SakuraLee. And I don't like Sakura either. -evil laugh-

**Crazy Gal42**: Thanks for the review :3

And now...-drumroll- THE STORY!

oOo

Naruto shuddered. He was going to fail the Chunin exam, and Sasuke and Sakura, they would kill him. He bowed his head, pretending to read the questions on his test paper. The only way he could finish any of these was to cheat, and he wouldn't risk it. Get caught cheating five times, and you fail. He wouldn't let himself.

"N-Naruto..." A timid voice whispered beside him, causing his deep blue eyes to dart up nervously. "You could...if you wanted, you could look at my paper..."

'_Hm? Why would Hinata want me to look at her test? She's so nice. Unless...' _Naruto considered with a jolt of fear, '_she's trying to get me to fail! No, this is Hinata! What am I thinking, she would never do that...unless Kiba and Shino put her up to it...yeah, that MUST be it!'_ Naruto raised his head. "Hinata...if you don't mind my asking, why would you let me cheat off of your paper?"

Hinata's eyes widened, and she blushed. "W-well, um, it's just..." she stammered, finally managing to get out, "It would be b-better if we st-stuck together, wouldn't it? The nine r-rookies?"

"Oh...yeah." Naruto blushed himself. "But...no. I don't need to cheat. I can figure this out, easy!" '_Crap! That was stupid! How am I going to figure these answers out myself?'_

"Hey Naruto, for question 2, try calculating the distance of the enemy, then determine the angle to throw the kunai..." A feminine voice muttered inside his head. It was a soft voice, but strong, and very distantly it reminded him of someone. "Just focus. And if you're wondering how I heard your name, well, I heard that pink haired girl screaming at you..."

Naruto jumped up at once. "AWSOME!" He shouted to no one in particular. "I have a smart concience!"

All eyes turned to him, and Naruto felt his face burning. Sakura looked like she was about to kill him, Sasuke looked like he was about to wet his pants laughing. A soft voice - not in his head, but real - called up to him where he stood. "N-Naruto?" He looked down, where Hinata looked genuinely embarassed. Her lavender eyes looked very confused. "Are y-you feeling okay? I know that th-the Chunin Exam is a l-lot of stress and all..."

Naruto closed his eyes, blocking out the staring eyes burning in to him from all sides. "No Hinata. I'm fine." But inside, Naruto began panicking. '_Maybe there is something wromg with me? Maybe I'm going crazy?'_

"NARUTO!" The voice shouted in his head. He looked around. No one else seemed to have heard anything, but some students were still looking at him strangely. "Naruto. Focus, okay? I'm not your concience. Just a telepathic person. Now just listen! I'm giving you the test answers. You're lucky Sasuke is so smart, or we'd both flunk this..."

Naruto turned immediately to Sasuke. He was writing quickly, staring with an intent look at the boy in front of him. On one side was a weird boy, not worth examining. But on his other side sat a pretty girl with long black hair flowing down her back. One one side of her head, near her ear, she had two purple streaks going through her hair. She wore a dark purple sweater and black athletic pants. But her one feature that was so suprising Naruto could not take his eyes off of them - her eyes. They were a very light purple, almost white, with no pupils. _'She's...a Hyuga? I only knew about Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi...I wonder if she is the telepathic one?'_

She was staring at Sasuke. But of course, that's natural. She's a girl, and Naruto found out the hard way that all girls were drawn to Sasuke Uchiha. Her eyes glowed with a fangirlish admiration that Naruto had seen so many times before. Sakura and Ino had the same look whenever Sasuke was around. _'But wait...something isn't right...'_ Naruto noticed. The girl was not staring at Sasuke. She was trying to look as if she was staring at the (ADORABLE) boy, but from his angle, Naruto could see that her eyes were actually focused on his test paper. _'This is her.'_

A tiny sound drew his attention from the black haired girl. A very short girl with hazel eyes and a brown ponytail, sitting a few seats down from Sasuke, balled up a piece of paper and threw it at the boy. Sasuke turned to her, scowling, with black locks swinging around his face. "What's the answer to number three?" She mouthed. By now, the ponytail girl had managed to catch the Hyuga's attention as well. Sasuke shook his head, turning back to his paper, but the Hyuga gave her a faint smile, mouthing something back. The girl with the ponytail giggled.

'_This is weird...how are they communicating?'_

The telepathic girl's eyes suddenly glowed a more intense white. She sat still for a moment, and the other girl smiled, hurriedly scribbling down an answer.

oOo

Naruto shot up out of bed a few days later. His first day as a Chunin, to be more exact. He had survived the written exam, the Forest of Death, and his battle with Kiba. And finally, it paid off. He was that much closer to finally becoming Hokage.

A muffled voice screamed in his head. He blinked in confusion, shaking his blonde hair out of his face and slipping out of his bed. The noise would not stop. He felt a surge of excitement coarse through his body like a bad sugar rush. _'Could it be...her?'_

Naruto sat down, focusing on the sound. All of the other thoughts - training, Sakura, his newly aquired Chuninism - he let them slip out of his mind. And just like before, the voice came into his head.

"...help me here! Naruto! For the love of God, open your door! I need **help!**"

Naruto rushed to his door, still in his pajamas, and swung open the door. The girl stood there, eyes glowing as she used her special power. When Naruto approached her, she deacrivated it, regaining her unique Hyuga eyes. "Hello, Naruto!"

"H-Hey...uh, I didn't catch your name?"

"Oh yeah. I'm Keitorin Hyuga! nice to meet you! As you probably figured out, yes I am telepathic, and yes I helped you in the Chunin exams. And now we're both Chunin, isn't that fabulous!" She squeaked in excitement. "Yeah, listen, I would love to stand and talk to you, but I've kinda got a kunai knife stuck in my leg."

"...why?" Naruto exclaimed. "Dont you know that's dangerous!"

Keitorin rolled her eyes. "I don't randomly lodge weapons in my extremities just for the hell of it. Now could you help me?" She stumbled into Naruto's apartment, clutching her leg in pain.

Naruto grabbed her arm. "Here...let me help you lay down..." he gently helped her to his bed, where she gratefully lay down. Suddenly, Naruto caught sight of her cheeks and gasped.

Whisker markings?

oOo

A/N: Read and review! o


	3. Enter: Sand Siblings!

A/N: Yay, another chapter!

**Sariyu-chan:** Thanks for the second review:3

oOo

Naruto put a hand to his own face, where he had the same markings. _Could Keitorin contain a demon spirit_?The blonde wondered. "Keitorin-chan, what are those marks on your cheeks?"

Keitorin sighed. "You've noticed." Sitting up painfully, she turned to face Naruto, head tilted to one side and her face showing a deep interest. "I am Neji-san's sister. Did you guess that much?"

Naruto shook his head. But now that he looked, she did look strikingly similar. She had the same light purple, almost white eyes and pale skin. Her hair was darker than Neji's, however, his a dark brown while her's was pure black.

"My family members, Mother in particular, always told me and my brother about the Kokoro Demon, an three tailed wolf demon that could turn into a beautiful girl. She wanted nothing more than to fit in. Whenever someone found out she wasn't human, they would flee from them, and she would curse them for life. My parents decided, to save the world from her power, to seal the spirit inside her unborn child." Keitorin paused. "Mother did not know that she was to have twins. Neji got nothing - but I recieved this awful curse in full. Everything from the whiskers to the temper."

Naruto sighed. "Keitorin, I don't really tell people this, but I've also got a demon - a nine tailed fox." He looked up at Keitorin, who was slightly taller than him, with icy blue eyes.

Keitorin's eyes widened in suprise. "The...whisker markings?" Slowly, she reached out and timidly put a hand on Naruto's cheek. Her hand was icy cold, and Naruto jumped when it touched his skin. Keitorin leaned a little closer to him, as if to speak, but a creak sounded, and both turned quickly to Naruto's door.

"Are we...innerupting something?" Temari stammered, and Naruto blushed. It must have looked like Keitorin was about to kiss him!

"No..." Naruto shot back. "Who the heck are you? And why are you in my apartment?"

Kankuro and Gaara appeared behind the taller girl. "There was a trail of blood. Gaara convinced us that we should check it out..." Temari turned a little, discretly glaring at Gaara, but not enough that he would notice out of fear that she would get pummeled.

"Well...thanks." Keitorin smiled. "I got attacked on the way over here. Just a little wound. I'll be fine." She tried to assure the Sand Siblings.

Gaara's eyes traveled down to the bleeding wound just above Keitorin's knee. "Here. Let me help you." He walked into the room. "Naruto. Do you have any gauze? And a wet cloth?"

Naruto stood and left promptly, as afraid to get the redhead angry as Temari. Gaara knelt beside Keitorin, inspecting the cut. "It looks pretty deep." He observed. "What happened?"

"I just told you, Gaara!" Keitorin sounded slightly exasperated. "I was walking here. A kunai flew out of nowhere and hit me."

"Who attacked you?" Gaara made his voice sound a little more annoyed to match the girl's.

"I don't know..." Keitorin shrugged. "I didn't see. Like I said, the kunai flew out of nowhere." She leaned closer to inspect Gaara's face. "Are you wearing eyeliner?" A comical grin formed on her face.

Temari innerupted. "No. He's not." She glared a bit at Keitorin, warning her to shut up before Gaara went insane.

"And who are you?" Keitorin glared right back at the older girl.

"Temari. Gaara's sister." Temari closed her eyes.

"And who's that guy with the make-up and the kitty ears lurking in the shadows over there?"

"Oh, that's my other sibling, Kankurou." Gaara gave one of his rare smiles.

Naruto returned with the supplies Gaara had requested, and then stepped out of the way, watching him work. Gaara first ripped off the fabric around the cut, so he could easily clean it. He pressed the wet cloth to the wound firmly.

"Hey, why did you rip my pants?"

"Hm? Oh, so I could clean the cut better."

Keitorin looked down wistfully. "Those were nice pants too. One of the only pairs that didn't make my ass look huge."

All three of the boys in the room blushed slightly, and Temari snickered. "That's not huge?"

Finally, Keitorin's blood was brought to a boil. "You know, Temari, you REALLY shouldn't be talking!" she growled loudly, balling her hands into fists. "I'm warning you!"

"Yeah." Temari sounded disbelieving. "Whatever you say."

"Hey, will you girls just let it go already?" Kankurou innerupted. "You're going to get your faces ripped off - if Gaara doesn't lose it, then I probably will."

"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FIGHT MY BATTLES!" Both Keitorin and Temari shouted at Kankuro at once.

"Done." Gaara exclaimed as he finished wrapping the gauze around the wound to stop the bleeding. "Well, we should probably get to our training. See you around...wait, I didn't catch your name."

Keitorin looked up into Gaara's eyes, a little confusion visible on her face, almost as if she remembered something she was unwilling to say. "Keitorin Hyuga." She murmured, half to herself.

"Right." Gaara nodded, before heading to the door, his siblings close behind. Temari shot a final venimous glare in Keitorin's direction, while Kankuro just looked glad to get out of there.

When he was sure that the three were out of earshot, Naruto sighed. "That Gaara of the Desert, he's weird."

"He's not so different from us..." Keitorin murmured.

oOo

A/N: Hehe, another chapter, and the start of a rivalry between Temari and Keitorin, it seems. Also the start of Keitorin's grudge against blondes. I will update soon


	4. Teammates

A/N: Yeah, I got another good idea for this...so I'm updating again!

oOo

(Keitorin's POV)

I lay in the grass, panting hard. I could feel sweat trickling down my face, but I didn't bother to react. I was completely exhausted from training. In fact, Chansu-sensei had me wondering whether I would be able to handle the walk home.

My teammate, Ari, voiced my fears. "It'll be a long trudge back..." She muttered, wiping one dark brown strand from her face.

I guess I should tell you about my team now. First and foremost, there is Chansu Karasu. He's our sensei, and one of Konoha's greatestJounins. He is a tall man, with brown, messy hair and big brown eyes. He is considered a genius - not only is Chansu a master at genjutsu, he also has the ability to use bloodline limit jutsu thought to be unique to the Inuzuka family. Chansu believes that some of his ancestors may have been members of this family, and he has inherited the trait. Never the less, this allows him to use some extremely powerful attacks.

Ari is one of the Chunin on my team. She is very short for her age, only up to my shoulders, with deep chestnut brown hair and almost black eyes. Not only is she beautiful, she is very powerful. She can perform almost all types of jutsu, unlike her older brother Lee, who is limited to taijutsu. Yes, Ari would be the perfect ninja if not for the fact that she lacks a little between the ears. She isn't all that bright. She can also be quite hostile. It takes a lot to gain her trust.

Kyandii is Ari's twin sister, even though you couldn't find two more different people. She is equally short, with dirty blonde hair, almost brown, and stunning emerald eyes. Like Rock Lee, her older brother, she is limited to using taijutsu. She has been underestimated for this all her life, including, if you can believe it, by Lee. She doesn't look very menacing, but she is a taijutsu master. Her personality is the complete opposite of Ari - Kyandii is always chasing after some boy or another, and she's a real ditz. She is very forgetful, but really loving.

Ari and Kyandii live together, with Lee and thier family as well. My parents are dead, but I do live with my brother Neji. I guess sometimes I am a little jealous of Ari and Kyandii's family and close relationship, but I seem to make friends easily and really they seem to replace having a real family.

Kyandii was all sparkles that day - she had met another boy. "I was just walking to training!" She gushed. "And all of a sudden, this really tall guy with silver hair and a mask jumps out from who knows where and says 'hi' to me!"

"Do you even know who it is?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Kyandii shook her head, pigtails bouncing every which way. "No, but I do know that he's the one for me!"

Ari laughed, sitting up to fix her hair. She pulled her shoulder length hair up into a single ponytail coming out of the top of her head, her usual hair style. "Silver hair? He sounds old."

"He's NOT old. I could tell." Kyandii retorted.

"How do YOU know?" Ari growled. "You SAID he was wearing a mask!"

"I also said he TALKED to me. And I could tell by his voice."

"How can you be sure?"

I sighed. Ari, though she was the same age as Kyandii, tended to be overprotective, and she didn't like Kyandii's obsession with boys at all. I decided to limp away then and there before I got dragged into the arguement.

I walked through the forest where we trained, back to my home. The streets of Konoha seemed strangely empty today...

"Keitorin." A voice greeted me, and I jumped, turning instinctively to see who it was. I let out my breath when I recognized the redhead as Gaara.

"Hey." I smiled. "Listen, I just wanted to say thanks for helping me a few days ago, you know, when I got hurt. I really appreciate it..." I looked down to Gaara. He was a little shorter than me - the top of his head only came to my eyes. I noticed that he wasn't even looking at my face. "Gaara?" Suddenly, I narrowed my eyes. He was looking at my chest! "Gaara!"

His head snapped up, his green eyes meeting mine. His face showed no emotion. "Yes?"

I sighed. "My face is here, Gaara." I pointed at my face.

"Yeah, I'm listening. Keep going." Slowly, and I don't know if it was intentional or not, Gaara's eyes drifted downward again.

"Will you stop that?" I raised my voice slightly. "I'm well aware that I'm a girl."

Gaara looked up again, blushing slightly, but still he didn't really look like he cared about...well, anything. "I should get going. Temari and Kankuro will be waiting for me. They sent me grocery shopping." I noticed the bad clutched in gaara's hand. "How I loathe it."

I laughed. "Okay, I'll see you around, Gaara-san!" I said, smiling slightly. As I watched Gaara walking away, I sighed. There was something about him...

oOo

How was it? Read and review!


	5. Ramen and Flashbacks

A/N: This is a pretty drabblish chapter, don't kill me!

oOo

(Kyandii's POV)

Our team is much like Kakashi-sensei's.

Ari is Naruto. Ari is not shy at all, outgoing and she knows what she wants. She wants to be the greatest Hokage ever, just like Naruto. She is thick-skulled and ignorant and stubborn, but we all love her anyway.

Keitorin is like Sasuke. Mysterious, daring, good looking. Anyone of the opposite gender finds themselves attracted to them. Both are naturally talented ninjas. Both are smart and quiet and determined. And both have asses for brothers.

I am like Sakura. I am boy crazy, I am lively, I am not afraid to fight for what I want. I have an eternal rival, someone I am close to. My rival and I, we compete for the love of a boy. And although Sakura-chan and Ino fight for the love of Sasuke Uchiha, Ari and I fight for something much more important to me than any stupid boy.

We fight for the love of Rock Lee, our brother. It's no secret that Lee likes Ari better than me. Because Ari is what he always wanted to be. She is a skilled ninja. She inherited all the greatest jutsu, she is beautiful and considered a genius in Konoha. She is celebrated and loved. Me? I am too much like Lee. All I can do is taijutsu. I am ugly and childish looking. I will never be a skilled ninja.

oOo

Kakashi sat on one side of me, Keitorin on the other. When I looked across the table, I saw into Sasuke Uchiha's pretty black eyes, looking down into his ramen bowl as he ate. Apparently, Chansu-sensei knew the sensei of Team 7. How convenient. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in a restaraunt, eating ramen. I can think of 100 things I'd rather do...number 100 being to make out with Iruka-sensei. That's how bad I thought it would be. Until I saw Kakashi-sensei.

It was the same man I had seen in the forest only days ago. The man I had argued about with Ari. Kakashi-sensei. I vowed, from the time I saw him, that I would make him mine. And now was my chance. "Hi Kakashi-sensei!" I exclaimed cheerfully. "I'm Rock Kyandii!"

"Rock...Kyandii?" Kakashi's one visible eye looked slightly amused, and I clenched my chopsticks tighter in my hands.

"I'm aware that my name is a pun."

"Oh...kay." Kakashi nodded. He looked back at the table. He had refused to get a bowl of ramen, because apparently, "he wasn't hungry."

The rest of the meal went okay. Keitorin and Naruto talked on and on about god knows what. Mostly, Chansu and Kakashi talked about...well, whatever it is that senseis talk about together. Training and missions and stuff. Me and Sakura seemed to get along okay. She brought up the topic of boys and we pretty much went from there. She was amazed that I could put up with Lee and I was amazed that she can put up with Naruto. Ari and Sasuke ate in silence, shooting angry glares at one another after Ari's initial comment ("Uchiha? That sounds like a disease.") My sister was definately not good at making friends.

I looked over at Keitorin. Her blank eyes were trained in one direction, showing no emotion, but the ends of her mouth were turned up in a little smile. Following her gaze, I saw what she was looking at: Gaara, sitting with his brother and sister on the other side of the resteraunt. I smirked. Even though she never really said anything, I could tell that Keitorin liked Gaara of the Desert.

oOo

(Keitorin's POV)

Chansu was going to kill me! I have never been late for training in my life, and puctuality has come to be expected of me. I raced through the forest to where we normally trained. As far as teams go, ours is one of the strongest, in my opinion. I'm pretty much the brains of the team. And with my Byakugan and other special jutsu of the Hyuga clan, I can be a formidable opponet when pushed. Ari, as I explained before, can perform several jutsu, and is a very skilled ninja. However, much like Chansu, she speicalizes in ninjutsu. Her attacks are very advanced considering her age and level of experience. As mentioned before, Kyandii uses only taijutsu and weapons. She specializes in punching and kicking attacks.

Anyway, I ran through the forest, quickly dodging trees and rocks. But I failed to dodge Gaara, because he stepped out into my path so suddenly. I nearly blacked out when I hit the ground. As I opened my lavender eyes, I saw Gaara's mint green ones, cold and unfeeling. "You should watch where you're going, Hyuga."

I had a pounding headache and a huge bump on my forehead where it hit Gaara's. Despite his words, Gaara extended one arm to help me up. "S-sorry." I stuttered, rubbing my head. I felt an uncomfortable feeling as the redhead's eyes burned into me. "Do you remember still...where we met?"

Gaara looked a little confused. "...at Naruto's house?"

I shook my head. "Before that. You don't remember? I was...around 8, I'd guess..."

(Flashback)

_The harsh desert wind blew into my face, carrying with it rough sand. I coughed slightly, covering my face with the neck on my shirt. My light eyes blinked to avoid the painful rock particles flying around my face._

_"You shouldn't be out here alone." A tiny voice spoke behind me, laden with concern. "Where is your family?"_

_Family. The word cut through me like a knife. Where was my family? Did they miss me? Did they even care that I was gone? "I have no family." I replied, turning to look at the other person. A tiny redheaded boy, face showing a little concern but mostly curiosity. A native here, I realized, who had probably never seen a Hyuga. "And if it's so dangerous, why are you even here? Shouldn't you be with your...family?"_

_"I live here!" His happy tone vanished. "N-no family? You live out here...alone?"_

_"Pretty much." I glanced away uneasily._

_I didn't realize that he had come closer until I heard his voice by my ear. "What is your name?"_

_My cold glare fixed on the boy. "I have no name." Without a family, or friends, what good was a name?_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I have no family to give me a name, of course."_

_"I am Gaara. Gaara of the Desert." Gaara smiled slightly. I couldn't help but smile back. "Wait here! I'll be right back!" I stared curiously at the boy's retreating back. A few minutes later, he returned, thrusting something into my hands. I looked down at my tiny hands. A rice ball rested in them, slightly misshapen but unmistakably a rice ball._

_"It's for you." Gaara sounded out of breath. "My older sister made it. You can have it." He grinned, flashing shining teeth at me._

_I smiled, raising the rice ball to my mouth and taking a big bite. My empty, frowling stomach welcomed the food to fill it. "Thank you, Gaara of the Desert." I murmured, returning the impossibly large grin._

(End Flashback)

"That was you?" Gaara looked absolutely amazed. "I thought you had no family!"

"I didn't have family to speak of, because I ran away." My features darkened. "My father was dead. I lived with my uncle and cousins and brother at home, but I was sick of my perfect brother and my beautiful cousings." I scowled slightly.

"You are beautiful." Gaara murmured. I snapped my eyes up. Gaara was looking at me casually, as if he did not understand the significance of what he had said. "Very beautiful."

My heart seemed to flutter, and my stomach flipped violently. What was this?

"Thank you, Gaara of the Desert." I murmured, nervously pressing my lips against his cheeks in a quick kiss. When I pulled away, Gaara's eyes were widened and his face was red.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course."

oOo

Oooh, love. Hehe, read and review!


	6. Sand and Girlfriends?

A/N: Okay, it's time for another OC. Her name is Sierra Takara. She is a tall blonde girl with blue eyes, from the desert like Gaara. Yes, I know she's a Mary Sue, but that's all part of the plot, don't worry...

oOo

Keitorin walked sullenly into the Hyuga complex, brushing a strand of black hair from her face. Training had been hard, and Kyandii had spent nearly the entire time bickering with Ari. Neji nodded in greeting, but nothing more, when Keitorin walked by him. She was used to it: Neji and Keitorin didn't get along very well, and it was probably for the better. She paused as she noticed that Neji was sipping out of a mug. "You know coffee stunts your growth." She teased.

Neji glared. "It's not coffee, baka. Caffiene keeps me awake. It's a calming herbal tea."

Keitorin raised one eyebrown in apparent confusion. "M'kay then. You do know...that tea has caffiene too?"

Neji just grumbled under his breath. Finally, Keitorin sighed. "So, how's life?"

Neji shrugged. "It's been better. You?"

Keitorin smiled slyly. "Today sucked." She complained, shooting a pleading look at her brother.

Neji sighed. "You may hug me."

Keitorin squealed in delight, wrapping her arms around Neji's neck in a suffocating hug. After Neji shoved her away and referred to her as a "lower lifeform", Keitorin walked off to her room, where she could get some peace and quiet, and catch up on some reading.

Or so she thought.

The telephone innerupted her thoughts. She decided to let the machine answer it. "Keitorin! Pick up the phone!" A tiny voice squeaked. It was Kyandii. "Keitorin! I know you're there. I know things about you. PICK UP NOW OR I'LL NGET YOU IN YOUR SLEEP, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

Keitorin sighed, picking up the reciever. "Hello?"

Kyandii giggled. "I knew you were there."

"Kyandii and I noticed something at the ramen restaraunt." Ari's louder, less childish voice continued. Keitorin realized that they must have used three way. (A/N: I based Kyandii and Ari on me and Mew, originally. Although they've developed since. And we always do that to Glacier!) "Why were you staring at that Gaara of the Sand guy?"

"Was not!" Keitorin snapped back. "We're just friends." She said weakly.

"Mhm." Kyandii sounded unconvinced. "We also saw you kiss him, Keitorin! Fess up!"

"Come on," Ari laughed. "You totally love him!"

"No I don't..." Keitorin mumbled, but inside, thoughts churned violently. Did she love Gaara? She cared for him a great deal...

"Come on, then!" Ari urged. "We're going to set you two up!"

"SWEET!" Kyandii shouted. "We're gonna visit the Kazekage! ROADTRIP!"

oOo

It was a very long, sad walk to the Hidden Sand Village. Lee insisted that he come along for protection to his sisters. Or, that's what he said. Mostly, he came along to protect Ari.

"Lee! I nearly forgot to tell you!" Kyandii blurted out. "Remember back in the Forest of Death? Well, we were attacked by Asuma's team - Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. Well, I finally got the chance to test out that cool jutsu you're always doing, where you wrap the person up in all the gauze and spin them around really fast, and Shikamaru threw up! It was AWSOME!"

Lee smiled. "It's great that you're finally gaining proper control of your taijutsu ability, Canbi! I'm so proud of you!"

Kyandii frowned. "It's Kyandii."

"That's what I said. Canbi."

"KYANDII. Say it with me. Can - dy! See, not that hard!"

But Lee never heard her, he already went back to talking with Ari about her genjutsu. "And then he just blew up!" Ari exclaimed, before getting wrapped in a bear hug by Lee. (A/N: Hehe, don't worry, eventually he and Kyandii will see eye to eye!)

"Finally! We're here!" Keitorin exclaimed, as the foreboding village came into sight.

As the four arrived at the Kazekage's house, Ari instructed Keitorin carefully. "Just ask him if he wants to...take a walk with you! That's like a date, I suppose. I really don't know much about restaraunts around here, so..." Ari shrugged. "Just do it."

Keitorin nodded, knocking firmly on the door. Temari answered, glaring defiantly down at the shorter girl. "What do you want, Keitorin?"

"Is Gaara here?"

"He's out." Temari said simply. At that moment, Keitorin almost collapsed due to shock.

"Gaara...goes out? The hell?" Keitorin shouted.

Temari shrugged. "He's got friends now. I don't want to know where they came from, so I don't ask."

oOo

Eventually, the four did find Gaara, sitting at a small diner. Keitorin rushed in, plopping down beside him and suprising him by wrapping her arms around his waist. "Hey Gaara!"

Gaara turned immediately, smiling a little as his green gaze met Keitorin's violet eyes. "Keitorin-chan." He introduced. "Let me introduce you to Sierra Takara."

Keitorin froze. She hadn't even noticed the tall, pretty blonde girl in the seat across from Gaara. Her golden hair fell in layers down to her shoulders, and her turquoise eyes were kind and full of laughter. Her bangs were held out of her eyes with her forehead protecter, clearly displaying the symbol for the Wind Country. "Sierra, this is Keitorin, one of my best friends from Konoha. And Keitorin, this is Sierra...my girlfriend."

Girlfriend.

The word echoed through Keitorin's ears as if he had shouted it. Keitorin struggled to stop tears from escaping her eyes. _Wait! I don't like Gaara like that! I should be happy for him!_ Keitorin thought frantically. _Or maybe...Ari and Kyandii were right?_

"I need to use the bathroom, excuse me." Gaara said politely, standing and walking away. Keitorin's eyes met Sierra's. The happy laughter was gone, replaced with a cold glare.

"Gaara of the Desert is mine, Hyuga. Remember it." Her voice was soft, like a harp, but very cold.

"What are you talking about? Gaara and I are just friends." Keitorin returned with a glare of her own. "Just friends." She repeated quietly to assure herself that it was true.

"Oh, come on, Hyuga!" Sierra sneered. "I see how you look at that boy. It's obvious you want him."

_Is it that obvious?_ Without saying another word, Keitorin walked quickly away, not looking back at the smirk on the girl's face. A few tears wet her cheeks. As Keitorin exited the restaraunt, she stopped in mid-step.

_What happened to the temper I've become so famous for?_

oOo

A/N: Read and review please!


	7. A Challenge and A Mystery

A/N: Finally the next chapter! Somehow I'll work Naruto into this one and of course more of Gaara and Sierra! And perhaps more of someone else who is evil. Yes, there shall be others.

oOo

Keitorin's eyes snapped open as the telephone rang. She turned down the radio in her room and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Keitorin-chan. What are you doing?" A male voice asked.

"Ah, just dozing in my room. And how are you, Naruto?" Keitorin smiled at the sound of her friend's voice. "I haven't heard much from you lately."

"I'm okay. But the real reason I called was about you." Naruto paused. "Listen," his voice got softer. "Ari told me what happened with Gaara. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I...well, Naruto," Keitorin answered, "Most people don't broadcast the fact that thier crushes have girlfriends. And really...I'm fine with it. But the weirdest thing happened..." Keitorin paused, brushing some hair out of her face, "I was really angry when I walked away from Sierra. But...I mean, I have an awful temper, and usually when things like that happen I just explode! But I was so calm..."

"You said that you get your temper from the Kokoro Demon."

"Your point?"

"Something might be up with it?"

"Doubt it." Keitorin sighed. Suddenly she heard a beep. "Listen, I gotta go. Someone on the other line." After saying goodbye to Naruto, she answered the other call. "Hello?"

"Hey, Hyuga." Keitorin's whole body tensed as the voice came out of the reciever. "I hoped I'd be able to get ahold of you. I wanted to check up on you...I mean, I was really mean a few days ago and I wanted to apologize. So...friends?"

"Listen, Sierra." Keitorin growled. "I have to deal with Temari on a regular basis, and I can tell Ino hates me. And you're making it harder and harder for me to accept blonde people. So why don't you just leave me alone?"

"I'm going to win Gaara-san's heart, Kokoro Ninja." Sierra laughed devilishly. "Whether you like it or not."

Keitorin gasped. "How do you..."

"Know about the Kokoro? Oh, let's just say, I've got my sources, Hyuga. Very reliable sources."

"Fine." Keitorin decided. "Listen, Sierra. We both like Gaara of the Desert. So I'll make you a bet. Beat me in battle...and he's yours. I'll never talk to him again." She paused. "But if I win, then Gaara is mine. And you have to back off. Got it?"

"Sure." Sierra agreed. "I mean, I _was _the number 1 rookie 2 years ago, when I actually WAS a rookie. I'll call Gaara and make sure he's cool with it."

"And I'll meet you here at the Hyuga complex. In the training area. In...three day's time." Keitorin hung up the phone, laying back on her bed. Sierra had been training for two years - double the experience Keitorin had as a ninja. And she was also the number 1 rookie in her academy, when Keitorin had barely passed.

"It'll make for an interesting fight. I've never fought someone who doesn't exist before." A voice snickered. Keitorin looked to her doorway, where Neji stood, a serious frown on his face. At Keitorin's confused look, he said, "No. I'm serious. I went on the computer and checked the records for the Wind Country Academy. Sierra Takara never graduated. In fact...she was never enrolled to begin with."

"How do you learn this stuff?"

"Internet." Neji shrugged. "Anyway, yeah, Sierra Takara never had schooling. So she can't be that good."

"True," Keitorin pointed out. "But many ninjas train at home. She may be lying about going to the Ninja Academy, but she could still be a formidable opponent if her parents or siblings helped her. I know that doesn't explain her headband, but still, it's something."

"I'm not done." Neji innerupted. "See, then I started to get really interested. I started looking around at some birth records on the internet. Turns out Sierra Takara never was born. There isn't even a Takara family - they just don't exist. So what might we assume when a nin shows up with no record of existance or identity?" His silver eyes fell expectantly on his sister.

"I don't know Neji." Keitorin rolled her eyes. "What might we assume?"

Neji glared. "Keitorin, Sierra is obviously someone else in disguise. Either that...or she's not human at all."

oOo

A/N: Short chapter...but it was awsome anyway.


	8. The Power of the Kokoro

A/N: Another update, because I'm pretty anxious to write this part. I don't really have the battle scenes planned out in my head, but I know roughly how this will go. And yeah, Keitorin uses pretty much taijutsu and some of the fun bloodline limit jutsu. Yeah, just random taijutsu I found online O.o

So what's happening? Sierra's true identity will be revealed...but it's SO not the end of the story! We still have the matter of who attacked Keitorin when she appeared at Naruto's apartment. I admit I've been neglecting that part of the story, working on the KeitorinGaaraSierra love triangle, but we'll find that out as well. And then...we focus on a few of the relationships formed: GaaraKeitorin, of course; Kyandii's feelings for Kakashi, and maybe a few other couplings as well. And dating, and marriage, and even kids. So this fanfiction is FAR from over.

oOo

Sierra wasn't the only one who appeared in the training area three days later. Gaara was there as well, and Neji came to watch the battle. "I'm not cheering for either of you." Gaara had made perfectly clear. "I won't take sides. Sierra, you're fighting for my love, and Keitorin is fighting for my friendship. It's impossible to take a side." Keitorin was about to correct Gaara, because she was actually fighting for Gaara's love as well. But she closed her mouth, scowling at Sierra.

Hiashi was there as well, watching with great interest. "I'd like to see how my niece's training has improved. Hopefully, the Chunin Exams has done something to help her." Keitorin's uncle glared at her scornfully, and she clenched her teeth. She knew that she was in this man's care - and he did take good care of her - but she remembered whenever he was around, that he could kill her at any time because she was a member of the branch family. And she knew how he looked at her - she was just a weak little girl who had disobeyed the family and ran away. Not fit to be a Hyuga...not fit to be a ninja.

And Keitorin thought for a moment, when the battle began, that she was in serious trouble. As she blocked and dodged a whole mess of sand covered shuriken, Keitorin called to Sierra, "How do you thinkyou can win when I have the power of the Kokoro on my side? It's simply impossible! I can tap into it's chakra at any time..."

"Think again, Hyuga. The Kokoro is not with you for this battle. This time, the spirits are on my side." Sierra replied triumphantly. "Just watch." She closed her eyes momentarily, tapping into the power of the Kokoro. (A/N: I have never seen Naruto do this with the Kyuubi, so I am guessing how it would be done. And Kokoro, I read, is translated to "heart" in Japanese, so that's where I got that.) When she opened her eyes, they were a stunning violet color instead of the usual blue green color, and two sharp canine teeth protruded from her mouth. "You see, Keitorin, I am the true Kokoro Ninja!"

"No fricking way." Keitorin shook her head. "This can't be happening." Quickly, she regained her composure, getting ito a fighting stance. _I can do this without the Kokoro. All I need is...the lotus jutsu!_ One of the most powerful forms of taijutsu that Keitorin knew, taught to her by Kyandii. She knew the risk. Lotus technique put lots of strain on the muscles of the body, but Keitorin reminded herself that Sierra was a demon and she really had no choice. She initialized the technique, and before long she felt strength and chakra flowing through her body.

Keitorin couldn't believe it. Every punch, every kick, Sierra dodged or blocked. Keitorin jumped, dodging a shuriken star and aiming a flying kick at the girl's head. Sierra remained in the same position, looking right at Keitorin, as if she expected to simply absorb the blow. _No way...there must be a catch. She can't take this hit!_ Keitorin was right. Just a centimeter away from her head, Sierra grabbed Keitorin's foot and slammed hr body into the ground. The wind was knocked out of her, and Keitorin couldn't breathe for a moment. She felt Sierra's hand wrap around her neck, tighter and tighter, with all the strength of the Kokoro. "And now, Hyuga, I'm going to kill you." Sierra proclaimed proudly. "You don't deserve Gaara." Leaning closer, Sierra whispered into Keitorin's ear, "and he was made for you, too." She held a kunai knife to Keitorin's throat.

_This is it. I'm dead, I'm really dead this time._

The terrible pressure was relieved from her neck, and the Hyuga girl gulped hungrily for air. Daring to open her eyes, she saw that Gaara had knocked Sierra out of the way. "This isn't a fight to the death."

Keitorin stood up, attempting to speak. She quickly gave this up. Her trachea was damaged too badly, and as of now, she could only talk in a whisper. She knew exactly what to do now, a powerful move that Chansu-sensei had taught her. Inner Decapitation Skill. (A/N: Kakashi uses this. It's when he pulled Sasuke underground up to his neck!)

Now buried in the ground from the neck down, Sierra looked a lot less menacing than before. She glared defiantly at Keitorin, and a growl escaped her throat. Keitorin managed to stammer, despite her throat being soar, "It's over, Sierra. I know all your secrets. And you've lost this battle." Gaara glanced at her, confused.

"Perhaps you have. But then, I knew you would find out eventually. You're a bright girl." Sierra said, actually smiling. "Even without the Kokoro."

"How did you know about that? And how did you tap into it's chakra? And who the hell are you, anyway?" Keitorin responded. "It's time I got some answers, Sierra. And I think Gaara should know too."

"Hey, hey, I'm sticking to my word." Sierra whispered. "I'll leave, but yes, before I go, I should share some things with you. It's obvious I'd know about your past...because I'm the one who gave you your gift." She laughed. "And I didn't tap into the Kokoro's chakra, it's my own. As for who I am, well...I am not Sierra Takara of the Wind Country. I am you, Keitorin, or rather, part of you. I am the Kokoro."

oOo

A/N: Yay, another chapter done! Please read and review!


	9. I Love You, Gaara

A/N: Yes! I have never written this many chapters for a story before! I feel so...powerful!

oOo

"Doushite? The Kokoro?" Keitorin gasped, pale eyes widening. By this time, Neji and Hiashi ahd joined the three Chunin. Hinata and Hanabi were also there, staring in shock as Sierra made her confession.

"I came here, Keitorin, to set you up with Gaara. I was hoping that if I made you jealous enough, that you would confess your feelings to him." Sierra gave a tiny smile. "Gaara, when the Shukaku was sealed inside of you, it determined who you would become. And he had Keitorin in mind."

Gaara's face showed no emotion, but his green eyes met Keitorin's. "So...I am supposed to be...w-with Keitorin?" Gaara whispered, his hand reached over to hold hers tightly.

"That's right. And she has such a temper...I figured that the most efficient way to set you up was through jealousy." Sierra closed her eyes, and suddenly, she transformed into a thin purple mist, seeping out of the ground where she had been trapped. She solidified again above ground, this time in the form of a large black wolf with violet eyes and three tails. The Kokoro. "Keitorin-chan..." Kokoro's voice seemed to come from every direction. "Your fate is decided. Do you accept it? Do you accept Sabaku no Gaara?"

"I..." Keitorin blushed a deep scarlet, looking nervously to Gaara. Gaara smiled and gave a small nod, and Keitorin turned back to Kokoro. "I d-do." Keitorin leaned in closer to Gaara, took one nervous breath, before kissing him.

(A/N: This has absolutely NOTHING to do with the fanfiction but...I have the song "When you're Mad" by Ne-Yo going through my head -shivers- I can hear it playing in my head. PLEASE, KIBA-SENSEI! MAKE IT STOP! Okay, LOL.)

Everyone else - except Kokoro - looked shocked. This was Gaara of the Desert, a feared murderer and a supposed monster, kissing one of thier own family members. Hiashi's eyes reflected only hostility at Kokoro, but the three children watched in awe as Gaara pulled away from the kiss. "I...love you." He whispered.

"Keitorin." Kokoro's cold voice broke the silence. "It is time for me to leave." The wolf padded toward the girl, looking at her fondly. "You have grown up so much, you know, since I was first sealed into your body. I may be a demon, but I'm not evil. I'm proud of you." She pressed her nose to Keitorin's, and both of them glowed blue with chakra as Kokoro resealed herself into Keitorin. As the wolf dissapeared, Keitorin's eyes closed and she fell over weak. Before she could hit the ground, Gaara caught her.

"Are you okay?" Gaara asked nervously, hugging Keitorin to his chest lovingly.

"I'm f-fine. It took a lot of chakra to g-get that Kokoro back into my body..." Keitorin gave a weak smile. "I love y-you, Gaara."

"But I want an explanation. You never told me about Kokoro...and I have a feeling you know more than was revealed." Gaara regained his composure, his face serious, but his features softened as he stared into the eyes of his true love.

oOo

"Neji-san is my twin brother." Keitorin began, lying in her bed with Gaara sitting next to her. She was still very weak and needed help walking, but her voice was stronger now. "When Mother was pregnant, she didn't know that she was to have twins. The Kokoro was a blessing - and a curse - meant for Neji. The Kokoro grants me three gifts. The Call of the Heart Nin - which is a one way telepathy. Howl of the Heart Nin, which summons powerful wolf spirits in battle. And Chakra of the Heart Nin, which is what she used in battle. It gives you unlimited chakra for a short amount of time, but nearly impossible to control."

"What is the curse?" Gaara whispered, his eyes trained on Keitorin's face.

"The curse..." Keitorin sighed. "Is a temper. I can explode without warning...and I'm also weak. My chakra drains faster, attacks hurt me more. The final curse is that I am unable to be truly happy. I will never be content. I will always hunger for more...be it material posession, strength, love..." Keitorin's expression was blank, her eyes focused on the celing. "Almost not worth it, you know?"

"It's strange how you could not be happy, Keitorin." Gaara said, brushing a few strands of dark hair from her face. "You're a strong ninja, and so beautiful..."

Keitorin smirked, grabbing both of Gaara's wrists and pulling him closer to her, thier lips meeting. "It is strange...because I am content now." She said breathlessly in his ear.

Gaara smiled affectionately. "I am always going to be happy with you. I will always love you, Keitorin. Nothing could break us apart." Keitorin murmured her agreement, weakly hugging him.

Wrong. There are forces that can break true love.

Death.

oOo

A/N: Sorry you had to wait so long for this update...but hopefully it was worth it.


	10. Death Comes Too Soon

A/N: I realized that I had been neglecting Kyandii and Ari. Haha. I always do something like that. I'm working them into this chapter, for sure! Spleeness!

oOo

(Gaara's POV)

Everything was going the way the Kokoro planned it. Keitorin and I were together. I had to admit that I had never thought about it before. I never thought about romance anyway, but now that I look back, I can see that especially then, we were the perfect matches for each other. I am quiet for the most part, a strong and ruthless nin. And Keitorin, loud and distracting, but gentle, mild, and endlessly benevolent. I know for a fact that Temari didn't approve of my relationship with Keitorin, and Hiashi didn't want her dating a "monster" but she didn't care.

I remember our relationship best as it began. And it began with a date. We walked through the forest together, quietly, holding hands. Not a word was spoken at the beginning until I leaned in to kiss her. Our lips clashed, and I could feel her body pressed against mine, her arms holding me close.

"Ewww. Keitorin, what are you doing?"

I broke my lips away from her, turning sharply and groaning in distaste. It was Kyandii and Ari. Until I met Keitorin's teammates, I thought that Temari and Kankuro were the worst thing I could have gotten stuck with. I was wrong. Poor Lee.

Kyandii wore her usual attire, a green dress with shorts underneath much like Haruno Sakura's. Her green eyes shone with amusement, her complexion almost glowing in the dim evening light. The happy smile on her face almost made you forget that she was nowhere near as inviting and volumptuous as her teammates, and she really did look good that night. I didn't know what the future would hold for Rock Kyandii, but I remember the first signs. (A/N: Oooh, foreshadowing! I used the thesaurus to make Gaara sound smart...)

Ari wore a light blue T-shirt and jeans, casual clothing as always. Ari was always pretty, and that night was no exception. I could see a faint blush on her cheeks, coloring them rose. Her hair was pulled up into a neat ponytail, not one strand out of place, as usual, and her chestnut brown eyes brimmed with purity and innocence.

I was so suprised at thier arrival that I forgot to speak, but Keitorin didn't. Her eyes flashed with a darker violet than usual, and the whiskers on her face seemed to get thicker and more jagged. "Where did you come from?" She exploded before I could calm her down.

"The condom broke." Ari replied, sticking her tounge out at the black haired girl. "We were accidents."

"Don't be a smartass." I snapped irritably. "Why are you here?"

"Why are you here?" Kyandii shrugged, her gaze never faltering as most people's did as it met mine.

"We're on a date." I said, before Keitorin could come up with a stupid excuse. She was a smart girl, really, but put her on the spot and you won't get intelligent answers. Hell, you're lucky if her answers make any sense at all.

"Oooooh!" Ari and Kyandii chorused at the same time, teasingly. Then, Ari said, "I knew you liked him! I can't believe you finally have a boyfriend!" She gave a happy squeal that broke the sound barrier, and I had to cover my ears.

"Do you see what you do, Gaara?" Keitorin growled good-naturedly. "So what are you two doing here, besides ripping away my sanity, piece by piece?"

"We have good news. Kakashi -" Ari began, but Kyandii cut her off with another loud squeal.

"Kakashi-sensei agreed to take me on a date tomorrow night!" Kyandii exclaimed, jumping up and down. When she jumped, she actually reached Keitorn's height - she is very short.

"That is awsome!" Keitorin exclaimed.

"Yep! And all I had to do was send him on a guilt trip for ignoring me by bawling my eyes out!"

The four of us walked through the forest for a little longer, conversing among outselves quietly. I didn't realize it until she nearly tripped, but Keitorin was leaning on me heavily. "Keitorin, are you..." I started, but she innerupted me.

"I have such a bad headache all of a sudden." She whispered, pain obvious in her voice. "I think I should get home."

"Good idea. We'll walk you." Ari offered.

As we turned in the direction of the Hyuga compound, Keitorin suddenly collapsed, a loud scream escaping her lips. "Keitorin, what's-" Kyandii started to say.

"The curse seal!" Keitorin shouted. "It's the curse seal!"

"It can't be." I narrowed my eyes in puzzlement. (A/N: I do hope that's a word...) "The only ones who could do this are the main family, right? That is, Hinata and Hiashi. But Hinata likes you a lot, as far as I've seen, and Hiashi is like your father figure. It doesn't make sense."

Keitorin's temper kicked in again, and she found the strength to stand up. "I think I know when my nerves are being torn apart by a curse seal, Gaara-kun." Keitorin said in a very controlled voice.

"You're quite right, Gaara. Why would Hinata or myself do anything like this?"

Keitorin's pale eyes flickered in the direction of the sound, wide with suprise and sadness. "Father?"

"Yes. _Father._" Hiashi whipsered, a superior smile gracing his lips. "I can't say I'm proud to raise a demon such as yourself. That is why you must die, Kokoro Nin."

"Father!" Keitorin mustered up the strength that she had and ran to Hiashi, hugging him tightly. "Don't do this! Stop, please!"

"Stupid." Hiashi pried himself from his niece's grasp. "Who could care for a thing like you? A threat, that's all you are. A nuisance. The only way I can kill the Kokoro is by killing you." This was so much like me and my uncle, that it was painful to watch. I could imagine that I was Keitorin and Hiashi was Yashamaru at this moment.

Another bloodcurdling scream seemed to rip through the air, and Keitorin fell motionless. We all watched for a moment, but she remained motionless. "I loved her." I heard my own voice whisper, but nobody heard.

The screaming attracted attention, and Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi appeared behind Hiashi, staring with suprise and grief Keitorin. Then, nervously, I approached her. Her face had no color, and her eyes were shut tightly to block tears from running down her face. I almost hesitated, but I allowed my hand to rest on her bust. It remained motionless - she wasn't breathing at all - and I knew that she was dead.

"I have done it. I have killed the Kokoro!" Hiashi shouted triumphantly, at last, when I murmured that she was not breathing. "I have killed the Kokoro demon!"

"F-Father...how could you?" Hinata whimpered. I could see that all three of the Kyuga children were crying, and they joined me, kneeling around Keitorin's corpse. I looked to where Ari and Kyandii had been, but they were gone - they must have gotten scared and ran off. Tears spilled down my face as I turned back to Keitorin - the girl I had loved.

We all allowed tears to fall down our faces.

Four tears - one from each of us - missed the ground and instead fell on her face.

One tear for the cheerful attitude that kept him hoping.

One tear for the friend that was always there.

One tear for the role model that led her through life.

One tear fotr the only one I had ever loved, the one who was gone now and would never return.

oOo

A/N: Don't worry - she does come back! Review please!


	11. Reborn

A/N: I really appreciate all the reviews, guys! And no, this isn't the end for Keitorin...at least not is the Kokoro has anything to say about it!

oOo

(Neji's POV)

Even when I didn't like my sister, I always loved her. But why did it have to end like this? I was ashamed to cry, but here I was, in front of all these people, silver tears running down my face and sobs shaking my body and I couldn't stop them.

"Is she d-dead?" Hanabi whispered, staring fearfully at me.

"I think sh-she is." Hinata answered for me, which I was grateful for because I couldn't find words. I was outraged. My dad, and now my sister! It was just too much! I took a deep breath, lifting my hand to her forehead and lifting her forehead protector. Wait a minute...wasn't the curse seal supposed to dissapear when you died? The ugly tatoo was as strong as ever. And why was it glowing a deep indigo?

"She's not dead." I breathed, my heart pumping faster. "Sh-she's not dead!"

"What?" Hiashi hissed. For the first time since Keitorin fell, he was beginning to look uncertain.

"You thought you could kill me?"

We all turned to Keitorin, she was sitting up now, her eyes open. But where her eyes are lavender, these eyes vere very dark purple, and even though the night air was still around us, her hair was waving as if there was a breeze. "It's the Kokoro." Gaara whispered softly. I didn't want to admit that I was getting a little freaked out, but without thinking I held Hinata's hand tightly.

"Neji, you're crushing me!" She squeaked loudly.

"Sorry." I loosened my grip.

"Hyuga Hiashi. It's been a while." Kokoro laughed coldly. Her voice was a little higher to match Sierra's, and it seemed to make the evening a lot cooler than it really was. "Nearly 14 years since you tried to seal me in your son." What? I had known about the Kokoro, but I never heard that part of the story. "And now you think you can kill me by killing your only daughter? A girl who's ninja skills surpass even yours? Pretty deep, even for you."

"_I killed you!_" Hiashi hissed. "How are you alive? Is this some kind of evil genjutsu?"

"Hey, we're not evil." Kokoro stood up, her expression nothing but pure hurt. "We just enjoy suffering. What's wrong with that? Now, your daughter is dead, for sure. And you never loved her, so you're probably okay with that. But you realize how many people you've stepped on, trying to kill me?" Her hair was waving as if there was a strong wind whipping around her, but she took no notice to the black strands in her face.

"I will kill you again then." Hiashi warned, his hand on his weapon holster. "Don't come any closer."

"You won't kill me. I'm here to set everything right...and I will." Her hair suddenly wrapped around Hiashi's body, binding him tightly. "An eye for an eye, hmmm, Hiashi?" Keitorin's hair glowed with blue chakra, and there was a maniacal smirk on her face I never saw from my sister.

Hiashi suddenly screamed in anguish, wriggling to get free, to no avail. My heart began pounding in my ears, but Hinata asked my question for me. "Wh-what are you d-doing t-to my father?" She screamed.

"He took Keitorin's life. I'm taking his."

"N-no!" Hinata jumped at Kokoro, trying to pry her away and pulling at her hair. Easily, the spirit threw the shorter girl off.

"Don't waste your time. You precious _daddy_ is getting what he deserves." Kokoro hissed.

"No! Father!" Hanabi screamed. "L-Leave him alone!"

"Okay." The Kokoro said suddenly, dropping Hiashi to the ground. He didn't move. "His soul is mine now. And I will give it to Keitorin Hyuga. She needs it more than I...I mean, I've lived thousands of years without a soul anyway."

Her eyes closed, and she fell abck to the ground. But I could distinctively see Keitorin's chest moving, and tears of you welled up in my eyes. She was alive.

Gaara was the first to approach her, and the only one who wasn't crying. For the first time since I met him, he was smiling. He kissed her gently, and her eyes fluttered open a few moments later, those lavender eyes I remembered. "Wh-what happened?"

As we were filling her in on the last few details of the fight, I heard a call behind me. I turned to see a blonde girl and a strange looking boy with face paint and a hood running towards me. "Who the hell are they?" I wondered aloud.

"Kankuro. Temari." Gaara stood up, pulling Keitorin up with him. He wrapped one arm around her waist to help her stand.

Temari rolled her eyes. "Gaara, what is she doing here? Fat ass." She smirked at Keitorin.

"At least I have curves. Your 15 and nobody can tell that you ever hit puberty."

"At least my curves don't make me look like I had plastic surgery."

"At least..."

"Can we please _not fight?_" Kankuro's exasperated voice innerupted. "And Temari, why do you have to be so nasty?"

Temari turned her murderous glare on Kankuro. "I don't need you to fight my battles."

"Thank you, Kankuro."

The sand nin turned to see Keitorin smiling at him, and he blushed.

oOo

A/N: Splee! I luff Kankuro! LOL read and review!


	12. Reflections

A/N: After plowing through books in my bedroom all morning, I am inspired. I'll write some about Kyandii, some about Ari, and then some about Keitorin. And why Kankuro blushed! Splee!

oOo

(Kyandii's POV)

When I look back on who I was, I am proud of who I was then, in Konoha - but it was so different than me now. The life of a ninja seemed so exciting, but a nin I can never be. Ari and Lee are ninjas, and for a while, I thought that would be my path as well. But it was partially Neji and partially Kakashi who helped me find my true destiny, the fate that awaited me.

Neji was a firm believer in fate. He believed that destiny was set down for you at birth, and that only a fool would attempt to go against it. In his eyes, Lee was a fool, but I know that this is not entirely true due to his enormous taijutsu skill. Neji says that he wasn't destined to be a ninja because his lack of ninjutsu and genjutsu ability, but what does this say about me? But no, Neji was wrong about Lee. Lee is a taijutsu master. I am not. A mistress of weapons, I had always thought. I adored the feeling of power it gave me, knowing how to use weapons. But I was never truly a ninja. Not the agile, strong, skilled nin in my daydreams, at least.

It was thanks to Kakashi that I learned who I was. Neji showed me only who I could never be.

Kakashi had agreed to go on a date with me. Something I never thought would happen - the older leaf nin had avoided me ever since the ramen restaraunt incident. Something must have clicked in his mind, and he saw how I wanted him and that I would do anything to get him. I laugh about it now. But then, it was only pure infatuation. I thought I loved Kakashi and I thought Kakashi loved me and I lived in my own ignorant little world of bliss.

"Why do you like me?"

That question got me thinking. Why did I like Kakashi Hatake? He had a reputation as a strong ninja, powerful bloodline limit jutsu, a knowledge of the various jutsu types. And that was it. Kakashi was what I wasn't. I was so attracted to Kakashi, someone who was nothing like me, and it made me think immediately of Lee. How we were so much alike, and we seemed to repel each other. And how Ari and I, so different, and yet she was my best friend. It all seemed to come together in my mind.

"Two puzzle pieces are different, Kakashi." I said, tucking a strand of dirty blonde hair behind my ear. In honor of the occasion, I had taken my hair down from the pigtails that had restrained me to my childhood. I looked older - even Ari said so - and she said I should leave my hair like that all the time. I decided I would too, it was such a different sensation, the wavy hair flowing down my neck. "That's what makes them fit together. Just like the opposite ends of a magnet attract each other. Like the dry sand and the sea, like the shining stars and the moon. I feel like you complete me."

Kakashi looked suprised. "So poetic." He commented. "I would have never expected that from a girl like you."

"What did you expect?"

"When I first saw you," Kakashi said honestly, "I saw all beauty and no brains. I know, the truth hurts. But that's really what I saw. You were always preening over yourself. I thought you would never be a ninja. But do you know what I see now?"

My brain was still numb over the fact that Kakashi had called me _beautiful_ - and here I had thought I was so ugly compared to my sister! - but I managed, "What?"

"I see a writer. I see intelligence and creativity, Kyandii."

oOo

(Ari's POV)

I know what Kyandii thinks now. As I write this, I know how the story will end, and I know what Kyandii thinks of me now and what she thought of me then. In a sense, I was jealous of her, I suppose. And she was jealous of me. I was the better ninja, I got the attention from the boys. But Kyandii was always so smart, so creative. She was a musician, and I could see her headed to the glamorous life of, not a ninja, but a star. She was so talented, and she had been jealous of I?

I was never interested in boys. I myself was always really a tomboy, so it wasn't suprising. I never thought boys were cute, and I never had crushes. Mostly, the boys would crush on _me_, and I would ignore them. It was so typical of my life, these boys, that I was completely thrown off when I found myself looking at a boy and longing for his attention.

I was ashamed of myself, almost. Here I was, an aspiring nin, and I was looking at this one boy, one of the few who didn't like me!

My sensei, Chansu, had always been after me all the time. Train, get stronger. Practice. Spar. Fight. He didn't understand.

Why didn't anyone understand my feelings for Neji Hyuga?

oOo

(Keitorin's POV)

Gaara was all I could ever want from a boy. We, so different, but we just seemed to get along so well. I didn't think how this might affect us later, and for the time being I was happy. And Gaara was happy too.

Our relationship didn't only affect us - nearly everyone was affected.

Neji didn't approve. A murderer, a demon, a monster. Gaara had been called so many names, and Neji thought he would break my heart. Even though he was 5 minutes older at the most, he played the role of "overprotective older brother" very well. Hinata thought that it was so sweet that Gaara had finally found someone he could say he loved, and little Hanabi was too yound to understand.

Kyandii and Ari thought I was going to leave them behind as friends, and I know that would never happen, but me and Gaara got really attached and I don't blame them for making that assumption. It never happened - even today, so many years in the future, we have remained close friends. Even though Kyandii has since pursued a new career and Ari has a relationship of her own, we still find time to hand out and talk like we used to.

Temari and Kankuro disliked the relationship, but for different reasons.

Temari hated me. I don't blame her. I'm disagreeable, headstrong, and unbending. Her comments were excruciating, but so were mine. It's not fair to blame either one of us - we both fueled the fire and one is just as guilty as the other - but I like to think it was her who started it.

Kankuro despised _Gaara_, not me. Kankuro loved his little brother, no matter how he pretended he didn't. But he also liked me, and he was jealous of Gaara.

oOo

A/N: Read and review!


	13. Goodbyes and Hellos

A/N: This chapter has Keitorin, Chansu, and Ari POV's. Also, the introduction of a new character, Ano Takashi, who is part cat - yay! There is part of a song in this chapter that I did NOT write - it's by JoJo. She's my favorite singer, LOL.

oOo

(Keitorin's POV)

Crushes - everyone has them. Gaara liked Sierra and I liked Gaara. Now that controversy is over and I guess I was stupid to think we could all just live happily ever after. Another boy had a crush on me. Now, I remember back to my crush on Naruto, long ago, and how it just sort of faded away and never bothered me again. I thought the same would happen - he would get bored with me and move on to someone else. But unfortunately, as I knew when he finally got up the nerve to ask me on a date, that this wasn't going to blow over quite as easily.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with Kankuro no Sabaku. Well, he _is_ kind of weird, but not like _Shino_ weird - he's more tolerable. And he's a little creepy looking, but I guess if you look at him in a certain light, he _is_ kind of cute. But there was one little problem he overlooked, or simply, perhaps, he didn't know. I was dating his brother.

"Kankuro-san..." I began as soon as I arrived at Ichiraku Ramen. "You do know..."

"Know what?" Kankuro asked, looking at me with deep concern. "Is...something wrong?"

"About...me and Gaara." I finished, with a small sigh. He seemed really sweet, and I hated doing this to him.

He looked at me for a moment. "Of course I know you and Gaara are friends. You're actually one of the few friends he has, you know. He's really been a lot nicer since he met you." The corners of Kankuro's mouth turned up in a smile.

"Actually..." I fidgeted nervously in my seat. "Me and Gaara have been...dating. I'm sorry, Kankuro."

"Oh...I didn't know. Gaara never told me." Kankuro said, a bit of sorrow showing on his face. For a moment, I seriously considered dumping Gaara for him. "But, I'm fine with it. Look, the truth is...Temari told me to do this...to break your heart. She said...that I should dump you."

"Why?" I inquired gently.

"She can see Gaara likes you, Keitorin-san." Kankuro shrugged. "And she's scared for him."

I smiled a little. "Like...scared I'm going to dump him?"

Kankuro shook his head. "The Kazekage - our father - sometimes hires people to try to assassainate Gaara."

I shook my head. "I assure you, really, it's nothing like that, Kankuro! I like Gaara...because he's..." I paused. Why did I like Gaara? "...sweet. He's really sweet."

Kankuro stood up. "Oh, well...I hope we can forget this happened, then, Keitorin-san."

I nodded, but I was lost in thought. Temari was turning out to not only a jerk and a complete slut...but also a threat.

oOo

(Ari's POV)

"Ari...can I come in?" I lifted my head from the book I was reading at the sound of my sister's voice.

"Yes, come in Kyandii!" She pushed the door open, her normally carefree and playful attitude replaced with a solemn aura. Her hair, normally held up in pigtails, fell straight down to her shoulders and her green eyes were dull. "What's wrong? Or, more likely, what did mom and dad yell at you for now?" I tried to lighten the mood, but it had no effect on Kyandii.

"I don't want to be a ninja." Kyandii said bluntly, sitting next to me on my bed. "I'm no good at it anyway, so..."

"You are too!" I protested. "You're almost as good as Lee when it comes to taijutsu. You had one of the highest scores at the Academy, too. If you could have done some ninjutsu or genjutsu, you would have beaten Sasuke Uchiha!"

Kyandii gave a faint smile, and a jolt passed through my body. She seemed different somehow. "That's not really where my talents lie, Ari, and even you know it. You're brilliant. You're spectacular. You're...meant to be a ninja." She said softly.

"What will you do then?" I whispered.

"Kakashi helped me work that one out." Kyandii said. She opened her mouth again, this time she began to sing. "_Nothin' makes me more happy than to know that I have such a close friend! Knowing that you're there for me is reassuring, it's the reason I'm always smiling..."_ She paused, looking at me expectantly.

"A _singer_?" I asked in shock. "But does that mean...that you'll be going away?"

"Yeah, I guess. But don't forget that you'll always be my best friend, Ari, and my sister too. Nothing can ever change that."

Kyandii did end up leaving the next day after saying goodbye to Keitorin and Chansu. She's left to the Village Hidden in the Clouds to pursue her career. And as for us, we got a new teammate. Her name is Ano Takashi and she is part cat. She has brown hair and kitten ears, orange eyes, and whiskers. She's pretty stupid most of the time and she tends to jump into situations without thinking. She's a lot like Kyandii - but I'll always love Kyandii best.

oOo

(Chansu's POV)

Being a Jounin has it's rewards, and one of the best is knowing about the past and understanding yours. My past is full of ups and downs that make it interesting - very hard at times, but there was never really a boring moment.

I should start with my parents. Well, I never really knew my parents, and I don't know much about them even today. I do know that my father was from the Inuzuka Clan, and that he walked out on my mother when I was very young. She couldn't support me alone - she was a Jounin with a team to look after and missions for her village. So she had to put me up for adoption and right away I was an orphan - only about 2 years old.

At the orphanage, things weren't all bad. We always had shelter and enough to eat. When we were old enough, we were aloud to go off to the Ninja Academy to begin our training. I would be at school all day and I would train when I got home. My evenings usually consisted of reading and studying whatever was available, but I also did a lot of daydreaming. Mostly, who my parents were and where they were now.

At the age of 11, just when I had graduated from Ninja Academy, I was adopted out of the Leaf Village. It was a village called the Village Hidden in the Wild and for a long time, I thought it was destroyed in an attack by Orochimaru. It turns out that there were survivors that traveled to live in other regions. Anyway, what was different about this village was the people - who were all animal people. (One of my students, Ano Takashi, is a descendant of this village.) i was adopted by a family of part raccoon people, and they treated me like one of them, even though I was so different.

The youngest daughter was around my age - 13 years old when I first arrived, so she was a little older than me. Her name was Sasha Yabi, and I always remembered her even after I fled the village. She was beautiful, with long silver hair with black pointed ears poing out, and black lines around her eyes. She was my best friend until the village was attacked and I returned to Konoha, when I was 16 years old.

I met her again back in Konoha - at first I thought I was seeing things. But there was no mistaking it: Sasha was not dead. She recognized me too, and it turns out that she, too, has a team. There was a boy with short, brown hair, brown furry ears, and a billowing tail named Kizoku (he was part squirrel) Another boy with blonde, messy hair and leopard spots named Aizaku, and a girl with short orange hair and cat ears named Kaminari.

She missed me as much as I missed her.

oOo

A/N: Eventual romance between Chansu and Sasha, but that's not a major part of the story.


	14. Of Father and Mother

A/N: As much as I try, I cannot think of any more to write for this story when they are 12 and 13. So here we go, MAJOR TIME LAPSE. Gaara and all who were formerly 12 are now 18 and Keitorin and all who were 13 are 19. This is the most ADORABLE thing ever, and I'd like to thank Mew-is-Back for helping!

oOo

(Keitorin's POV)

From there on, my relationship with Gaara was pretty normal, well, until I turned 19 and my life changed forever.

Before we go that far I'll fill you in on a few details.

I haven't seen Kyandii personally since she left, but I've seen her pictures in multiple magazines. She's a singer now, and she's really good. She got really tall, too, and grew her hair out a little more. Lee totally respects her now - I know, because he has every one of her CD's.

Ari is one of the most skilled nin I have ever met. She's warmed up considerably to humankind in general and has even began dating - my brother Neji. She's still really short and he's still really tall so they look pretty funny together. But while before she was up to his chest, the top of her head now comes to his chin.

Chansu is married now - to a girl named Sasha Yabi. He married when I was 15 years old (FWI, he was 24) and they have a daughter named Ora. She's really sweet, I babysit for her sometimes when her parents are on ninja missions, and currently she is 7 months old. She has blonde hair and blue eyes and whiskers like her mother, but no racoon ears or tail.

As for me, I live in Konoha with Neji, Hinata, and Hanabi like I always have. Gaara lives in Suna, and he is the Kazekage now, but we still see each other a lot. We try to talk on the phone every day and go out together at least once every two weeks. Lucky for me, Temari is no longer a problem. She's a lot nicer to me since she saw the effect I had on Gaara.

Apparently, a little too much of an effect.

oOo

It would have turned out a lot worse. Neji's fear could have come true and I might have gotten raped (He's very overprotective!) But it was Gaara, thank God.

It was my 19th birthday when it happened. I had had just a little too much to drink, and I ended up losing my virginity that night. And I woke up with Gaara next to me, kind of dazed and not really remembering much of anything until I got the morning sickness and then I knew what had happened. Accepting it myself was hard, but telling Gaara was harder.

I called him over to my house, and we both sat in my room. The same room where this horrible thing happened. It's still kind of painful to think about, especially that I don't remember. "Gaara. Do you know...what happened on my birthday?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes." Gaara was quiet for a minute, face showing no emotion, and then he said. "I hope you're not mad...because I barely remember it."

"I'm not." I assured him. "But Gaara...I needed to tell you that I really like you and I'm glad our relationship lasted this long. I don't know if it will last longer, if you'll break up with me now..."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because...I'm pregnant."

Gaara's eyes widened, and he slapped a hand over his mouth. "Pregnant?" He whispeded, and I could tell he was shocked.

I nodded wordlessly, and I could feel myself begin to cry. I bowed my head, ashamed to look at him, until I felt him wipe a tear away with one of his pale hands. "Why are you crying, Keitorin-chan?"

"You're not going to l-leave me?" I whimpered, looking down at him sadly.

"No! Never!" Gaara said, pulling me into his arms. "We need to find out what we'll do. What do you think, Keitorin? What about..." he took a deep breath. "...abortion?"

"GAARA NO SABAKU, ARE YOU CRAZY?" I screeched. "You're not killing my baby!" I put one hand on my stomach protectively.

"Well..." Gaara frowned for a moment. "It looks like we're going to be parents then. There was something I wanted to ask you, though, Keitorin." He took my hand in his. "Will you...marry me?"

I grinned, wrapping my arms around him. "Yes!"

oOo

Splee! Fluff!


	15. Sierra

A/N: Only one more chapter after this one. Then I'm starting a new fancharacter story about my characters Onkei, Shinbi, and Yuki. Very romantical with yaoi. I gotta warn you though, this one will be dark and probably rated M. Kids might wanna stay away. But if you're of age, it should be very entertaining with OCOC

oOo

(Keitorin's POV)

The wedding, the baby. It's all a blur now, of love and hormones and "GAARA, YOU DID THIS TO ME!"

The baby came on July 22nd, and it was probably one of the happiest days of my life. Besides the pain, which I'll never forget. She had sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked a lot like Temari, but she has my nose. We named her Sierra.

Sierra (the Kokoro) was probably the best friend I'd ever had. I look back on her with graditude, for when she saved my life, for the powers she gave me. If it wasn't for her, I'd be a genin still. Wait, no, I'd be dead.

And now, there was Sierra, my daughter. As I'm writing this, she is 6 years old and she's starting Ninja Academy. She cries a lot, like me, I guess, and she has my temper. But mostly, she's very curious, friendly, and of course outgoing.

Gaara and I were married on December 18th, when I was two months pregnant. Looking back on my wedding picture, I can feel the same joy I felt as in the very moment the picture was taken. I was smiling a deep, happy smile, and Gaara, for once, was smiling with every one of his teeth showing. Even when I think about it now, I can still feel butterflies in my stomach.

oOo

"Goodbye, Sierra! Have a nice day at Ninja Academy!" I called as she walked out the door of our house in Suna. She waved and smiled, displaying the gap from where she had lost her first tooth only days before.

I closed the door, and Kyandii grinned at me. She was finally given a break, and she chose to spend it in Sunagakure with me. She had also visited Ari in Konoha, but now that the brunette was the Sixth Hokage, she was too busy. "She's cute." Kyandii commented. "You know, she looks just like Kokoro-chan did. You know, same hair and eyes, and her face is almost wolf-like." I had to admit that this was true: Sierra looked a lot like the wolf spirit in it's human form.

"So Gaara," I said, looking over at my husband. He stared quizically in my direction, and I took a deep breath. "Are you ready...for another one?"

"Is that an offer or a news broadcast?"

"It's news. I'm pregnant again."

Gaara looked shocked for a moment, and all of a sudden, he broke out into a smile. "I'm going to be a father! Again!" He ran towards me, embracing me until I felt like I would snap in half, and Kyandii made it a group hug. Gaara spent the whole day smiling, and Kyandii kept exclaiming about how lucky I was to have a husband like Gaara.

I am.

oOo

Splee! It's done! Well, that's nothing to 'splee' about...this story was really fun to write. But I will have my next story up soon, I'm calling it "Supernatural".


End file.
